Pedro Sanchez is heading to Ceuta today amid one of Spain’s worst border crises in years.

At least 20,000 illegal migrants from Morocco are believed to have flooded into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday.

According to respected Spanish newspaper El Español, the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesus Vivas, made a firm call to the prime minister at around midday yesterday.

He implored Sanchez to introduce ‘exceptional measures’ to stem the influx of people illegally entering at various points along the border, branding it a ‘brutal avalanche’ that he believed had far exceeded 20,000.

Moncloa Palace confirmed a few hours later that Sanchez would be travelling to Ceuta alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Friday.

The Army was also deployed, with at least 100 personnel expected to support the Guardia Civil operation on the ground, while reinforcements are being sent from Andalucia.

Sources said the presence of Sanchez and the Army was the only way to force Morocco to agree to help halt the massive influx of people.

The two countries yesterday vowed to return those who had made the illegal crossing and to speed up the necessary processes to do so.

It came as Italy threatened to close its Schengen border with Spain in an unprecedented warning.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the Ceuta chaos ‘once again’ proved that ‘illegal and uncontrolled immigration poses a threat to the security of European borders.’

‘We are convening the relevant bodies and, following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the security of citizens, including the suspension of the Schengen Area with Spain,’ she threatened.

‘On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this Government.’

Her message was supported by her Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who said ‘irregular and uncontrolled immigration represents a danger to national security.’

He added: ‘I am in favour of closing the Schengen Area to Spain and I have full confidence in the actions of Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Irregular and uncontrolled immigration represents a danger to national security.

‘The images coming out of Ceuta demonstrate how the Madrid government’s decision to grant Spanish, and therefore European, citizenship to more than 500,000 undocumented immigrants is profoundly wrong and encourages human trafficking.’